CFVY
by AyayronShurmon
Summary: Coco, Velvet, Yatsuhashi and Fox are one of Beacon's top teams, but like all teams, they had a rocky start.
1. Chapter 1

I leaned up in my chair when I saw Lionel enter the room. A tall, well-built Faunus with wild copper-orange hair and two rounded ears rising from just above his temples. Despite his messy occupation as a huntsman, he never failed to wear a suit, which he kept completely immaculate despite his constant fighting. His eyes, an orange color only slightly paler than his hair, were sharp and attentive, and darted about the room as he walked in, almost as though he expected to find an ambush.

Lionel gave a small nod before he spoke, "Sir, the girl is waiting outside, though I'd be careful with her," He leaned forward, afraid the girl may be listening through the door, "She's terribly afraid of humans. Ran for the hills when she saw my partner with her weapon out."

I took a sip of my drink, "I'll tread lightly, send her in, and then wait outside. Thank you, Lionel, for doing this on such short notice."

Lionel nodded again before walking out of the room. A few moments passed before an unassuming girl walked in. She walked in with her head held low, looked up at me, and turned her head back down in a mix of fear and embarrassment. She took her seat across the table from me, immediately setting herself into the most uncomfortable posture imaginable. Her back went as straight as a rod of steel against the back of the chair, her arms pressed into her side hard enough to make marks, and her hands forming a death grip of fear around the base of the chair. Her head was held low still, though she did seem to make an effort to look up towards me. Long brunette hair fell across her face, partially obscuring her terrified mocha eyes. From above her brunette hair rose two long rabbit's ears, drooping slightly due to the tilt of her head.

I gave her my best warm and welcoming smile, "Velvet Scarlatina. It came to my attention not long ago that you have a particular ability, a semblance, as we call them."

"Yes, s-sir, t-that's correct." Her voice was weak and wavering, and had an unmistakable accent that came only from the wilds beyond the kingdoms.

"Come now, I know that the humans outside the kingdoms aren't the kindest bunch towards the Faunus, but you needn't fear me. I assure you that many of my close friends, like Lionel out there, are Faunus just like you." I noticed her staring at my mug, "Would you like a cup? Finest quality, straight from Vacuo."

"I don't like coffee very much," her voice having lost some of its previous waver, before she suddenly blurted out, "Thank you, though!"

I took a sip. She seems to have calmed down a bit, her grip on the chair loosening from the clamp of rigor mortis to merely that of a mechanical vice, "So, Ms. Scarlatina, I'd like you to show me what you can do."

"I-I can't, whenever I use my… Well you called it a semblance, it destroys what I use it on."

I reached into my box sitting behind me, grabbing out what the girl needed. I showed it to her: a small, innocent looking plush ursa, with a body of cotton and a mask of painted plastic, "I believe this will suffice. Go on, whenever you're ready," I told her, before setting the small doll on the table between us.

Velvet stood up from her chair, and extended her hands towards the plush, "Here goes then…" Her body began to glow a pale white, a sure sign of her aura activating. Then, the same glow surrounded the doll. Velvet's glow subsided, but the doll's grew even brighter. Velvet dropped her arms and took a precautionary step back. I sipped my coffee as I watched the doll begin to swell, threads popping out of their stitching before falling away entirely. After a few moments, the doll stopped being a doll and began to be a fully-fledged ursa, its beady eyes turning from bits of plastic to glowing balls of hate, its mask changing from white plastic to bone, and a layer of black, bristling fur growing to surround its entire body. Finally, after around fifteen seconds, the ursa's weight snapped the desk in two, and the replica Grimm fell over, dazed. It continued to grow, and eventually, noticing a thoroughly terrified Velvet, started to snarl. Then, after a second or two of trying to roll off its back, the monster popped open into a cloud of cotton, leaving behind only a ruined husk of black cloth.

No longer having a table to rest it on, I set my coffee on the ground to applaud the girl, who was still shivering with fear in the corner of the room, "Marvellous, Ms. Scarlatina. In all my years as a huntsman I don't think I've ever seen that."

"But it only lasts a few second," she said in dismay, walking back to her chair. Though she was clearly rattled, her posture was much more relaxed, "They grow like real monsters, but then they just explode. It's just a parlor trick, I shouldn't have wasted your time, I'm sorry." Tears were forming in her eyes. She wasn't used to showing her power to others, let alone a human.

I extended a hand to rest on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, "Ms. Scarlatina, the most powerful of semblances all start out as just parlor tricks. A close friend of mine can move objects with her mind, and is strong enough to shake a building to its foundations and rebuild it in a mere moment, but when I first met her it took every ounce of willpower she had to lift a pair of keys."

She wiped the tears from her eyes, "But your friend is a huntress! I'll never be able to train to become that strong,"

A coy smile involuntarily crossed my lips, "Velvet, do you know who I am?"

She looked at me with the exact look of confusion I expected.

"I'm Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy in Vale. I'd like you to come study at my academy."

Her eyes lit up, any remaining tears made themselves scarce, "Really?"

"Of course. With a semblance like yours, you could be a fine huntress."

She returned to her previous look of dismay, "But Beacon is for the best of the best, isn't it? And I don't know the first thing about fighting."

I chuckled a bit, "That's what the teachers are there for. So will you come?"

She looked down, not in dismay anymore but in contemplation. After a moment, she looked back up at me, with the first smile I'd seen on her and eyes filled with excitement and wonder, "Well, okay! Okay I'll do it!"

I smiled at her, and walked to the door to call Lionel in, "Lionel, I'd like you to go with Ms. Scarlatina and help her gather her belongings. I want her on the first airship to Vale tomorrow morning," Lionel nodded to me, and I turned back to Velvet, "Ms. Scarlatina, Orientation is in two weeks, please be on time."

She beamed back at me, "Of course, Headmaster, thank you!"

I walked out the door away before turning around, "Oh, and welcome to Beacon," I said with a smile and a sip of my coffee before taking my leave.


	2. Chapter 2

Mr. Scarlatina and I sat opposite each other in a pair of exaggeratedly large leather armchairs. Though the lands outside the kingdoms were certainly not known for their safety, those who could survive here could also thrive here, and the Scarlatinas were no different. Mr. Scarlatina was a jewel crafter and dust salesman, who one day tired of the big city and of customers who cared only for his dust. For Mr. Scarlatina, the power of raw dust didn't compare to the beauty of a well cut jewel. Rather than continue as he always had, he packed up and went south, settling in a Faunus mining town called Pentalagus, where he found the most brilliant gems he had ever seen: sparkling rubies and garnets, as clear as day and red as blood. A few years later he met a woman, also a Faunus, who was as beautiful as the gems he found in the mines. They married and had a child, Velvet.

I know all this because he told me. Ever since Velvet and I walked through the door, he had been jabbering about rocks, traveling and the Faunus who lived in town. While Velvet was in the other room, packing away her belongings for a new life in Vale, I was getting my ear gabbed off by a man far too entranced with his own life story. My tea cup had long since run dry, though I still made the motions to drink it if only to provide myself with something else to do than listen to this elderly man describe his favorite colored bits of stone.

"Oh my, you've drank all that tea! Would you care for another cup?"

It took me a moment to respond. It wasn't that I didn't hear him, it's just that I mistook it for part of the story at first, "Hm? Oh yes, of course sir," I handed him the small white cup before he scurried into the other room.

He was a nice man, and I certainly didn't mean to be rude, but he was also very long winded, and my patience was running out bit by bit. As I began to wonder what else I could be doing with my time, he returned, cup of tea in hand, "Here you go, Mister… uh, I don't believe I caught your name before, I must've gotten caught up in the moment,"

"Lionel. And the 'mister' won't be necessary," I reached out to take the cup from him

"Well, Lionel, I should thank you again for taking my daughter to become a huntress, she's been fascinated by them since she was a little girl. There's always a few around town, protecting us from bandits and the stray grimm. Why I remember just a few months ago…" And he was gone again, back to his stories.

I looked into the cup. This had to be the weakest cup of tea I had ever seen. The water was still only the palest of straw browns, and had no taste at all. I set the cup down to my side, thinking that if I could let it sit for a few minutes, it might actually taste like tea instead of colored water.

As though to rescue me from another half hour of Storytime, Velvet's ears peeked around the corner, followed by the rest of her head, "Um, excuse me, Lionel, could I get some help with my bags?"

"Of course," I stood up from my chair slowly to hide how eager I was to do literally anything besides listen to another story. After dragging Velvet's five bags, all filled with what seemed to be bricks, to the front door, Velvet turned to say goodbye to her dad.

After a long hug, Mr. Scarlatina wiped a proud tear from his eyes, "Velvet, wait," He reached into his shirt's pocket and pulled out a golden necklace. He unfurled the chain, revealing a pendant with an ornate, hand-crafted gold housing and the most brilliant garnet I had ever seen, "When I met your mother, I was hauling a cart of gems back to my shop, and she walked with me and… well it was wonderful. After that we started dating. I kept the most brilliant stone of the bunch, a large garnet, and when I proposed to your mother, I gave her half of that gemstone in a ring. The other half, I'm giving to you," His voice choked up and his eyes grew red with tears, "Be safe, honey. I know you're excited to go to Vale and become a huntress, but there's a lot worse in that city than grimm, alright?"

"Thank you, Dad. But don't worry, I'm not leaving forever. I'll come and visit," She closed the clasp of the necklace around her neck, "And I promise I'll be careful."

The two embraced once more before Velvet and I walked out the door. With one bag in each of our hands and another on my back, we made our way to the nearest airport. There wasn't much for me to see in this backwater town, and Velvet, shy and tight-lipped as ever, refused to ask any questions about Beacon or Vale.


	3. Chapter 3

A massive stronghold overlooked a cliff and was flanked by beautiful blue waterfalls that I could see sparkling even several miles away on the airship. The campus was like a bastion of light amidst the flat and daunting land on which it stood. The buildings were like serene mountains rising up above the land, imposing yet inviting, as though asking for the tired and weary to take shelter there. However, one spire stood tall above the rest: Beacon Tower, a light house that doubled as the office for our enigmatic headmaster. From this spire poured forth a green light that shone as brilliantly as the moon. The light pulsed slightly, like a heartbeat inside a man's chest, but slower, like the breathing of a sleeping woman. The stories back home were true: Beacon Academy was a sight to behold. In all my days in the deserts of Vacuo, I've never seen something quite as striking or as beautiful as this.

"We will be arriving at Beacon momentarily. Please gather your luggage and exit the airship in a calm and orderly fashion. Two other airships will be arriving at the same time, so please be mindful of your fellow students. Thank you for flying with us today," came the voice of our cheery female pilot.

I saw many of my fellow students struggling with two or three bags at a time, having foolishly packed well past their ability to carry their luggage. I had thought ahead however, and brought only clothes and my sword; the only things I needed, to be honest. If I needed more, Vacuo was a short flight away.

Proceeding off the airship and onto the landing platform, Beacon was even more beautiful up close. Its ponds, sparkling with serenity, were not something found often in Vacuo, and certainly not as mere decorations. It seemed horribly wasteful, but something about it just framed the school like a painting. I stood quietly, taking in the sight for a moment, before proceeding forward and walking straight into something, dropping my bag and my sword.

I looked around, trying to figure out what hit me when I saw a small Faunus girl, cute and brunette with two tall bunny ears rising out of her hair, wearing a simple white dress and a golden pendant. She looked dazed, and it was clear she took a harder fall than I did.

I stood up and dusted myself off, before I heard the girl's sing-song voice come from below me, "Sorry about that, I should've been watching where I was going."

"Need a hand?" I asked her, holding my hand down to her.

"Oh thank you that would-," Her words stopped dead in their tracks once she looked up at me. Her voice turned from confusion to abject terror. She made a few fleeting noises that I could only hope to describe as the bleats of a very upset sheep before scrambling to her feet and running away.

I was left scratching my head. Did I do something wrong? I did bump into her, but she didn't seem upset about that. Did she not want to touch my hand or something? I know some people from other kingdoms think the people of Vacuo don't wash their hands, but I most certainly do.

Suddenly another Faunus, this one red-haired and wearing a suit, came a grabbed her suitcases from the ground.

"Hey hold on, that girl is coming back for those!" I shouted at him.

"Relax, kid," he waved me off like a gnat on his shoulder, "I'm with her. And she's probably not coming back."

With that, the red-haired Faunus strolled off, five suitcases in hand, leaving me confused as to what just happened. I gathered my belongings and proceeded to wear I had been told I could leave my luggage.


	4. Chapter 4

So far my day had been… Less than fantastic. Beacon is just as amazing as I hoped, but it's a bit daunting. I've seen humans before but only one or two at a time. The only time I had seen more than that in town was when Mom died, but that was so long ago I figured I could handle this. But there's just so many! I'll occasionally see a pair of ears poke above the crowd or feel a tail brush past my leg but the Faunus here just seem so outnumbered. If something bad were to happen, I don't think I'd stand a chance.

The ride to Beacon was great though! I'd never flown in an airship before, and it was even better than Dad or Lionel had described. That much speed and being so high above everything just gave me such a rush. I remember thinking "Wow, if everything in the kingdom is this great, I might never want to go home."

Then, I was so excited I rushed off the Airship as soon as I got my bags. I ended up bumping into this boy… No, he was too big to be a boy. The man was a giant, bigger than anyone I'd ever seen, and he had a massive sword slung over his back. His sword alone was as big as me, and he looked strong and scary enough to swing me and that sword around like a pair of twigs. I ran away. I shouldn't have, but I was so scared I left my bags behind. I'm sure he was a nice man, but he was human and Dad always said to be careful around humans. Running for the hills may have been too careful, though.

It worked out though. Lionel managed to find me and escorted me to where I'd leave my bags for the first night. But then he said his job was done, wished me good luck and walked off. I wish he was here, but Professor Ozpin had told me he would only lead me to the school. I guess that finding my own way around is part of the test, huh, Professor?

I set up my bags in a neat and tidy row, then, feeling hungry, set out to find the dining hall. I walked outside and was struck with the same exact fear as before. I saw humans scurrying every which way, some in uniforms and some in clothes I'd never conceived of. I tried to ask for directions, but every time I did the words got stuck in my throat and they didn't hear me. Even if I did manage to ask, what would they think? They're all first years like me, they don't know where anything is, and they'd think I was just being a needy little Faunus girl. And the ones in uniforms, the upper classmen, wouldn't want to help me. After all, what kind of upperclassman wants some first year stopping them during their busy schedule to ask for directions?

I sighed and leaned against a wall. Maybe coming here was a mistake. I didn't know how to fight, I barely knew how to use my semblance. Everyone here had spent years of their lives training to fight monsters, and I'd spent years of my life playing with toys and listening to Dad talk about monsters. I wasn't even close to being on the same level as them. I felt like crying, like running away again, but the airships had left and there was nowhere for me to run to. I'd need to be strong for now.

Eventually I saw a Faunus in uniform, and stopped him to ask for directions. He smiled at me and pointed east, giving some directions and vague landmarks to guide myself with. I thanked him and walked off, now with a bit more skip in my step. The Faunus upperclassman had been so nice, not at all like I expected. If the Faunus here were nice, I bet the humans were too. I just needed to stop running from them and I'm sure I'd see how nice they really can be!

Following the directions I'd been told, I eventually found myself at the dining hall, a large marble building that was as imposing as the student body inside. Walking in, I joined the nearest line. The food was decidedly normal: fish, pasta and a small salad, but it was all much more aromatic and fresh than the food back home.

I sat down at the first table I saw, too engaged by my food to even look who I had sat with. Taking my first bite of the salad was like taking a whole new leap forward for my taste buds. It was familiar, but extraordinarily good. I started to taste every piece of my meal, and it was all just as amazing.

In the midst of my feeding frenzy, I heard a small raspy snicker from my right. Turning, I saw a dark skinned young man with orange hair that fell down from his head like leaves on a fern. He realized I was looking at him and turned to me. His arms were covered in dozens of small scars, none more than an inch across, as well as one scar coming down from the right side of his lip. More surprising than that however were his eyes; he had a pair of completely blank white eyes. No irises, no pupils, just… white. It was eerie the say the least, made only stranger when he began making a series of hand signals at me.

I blinked at him a few times in confusion. He was human, and he certainly was scary looking, but his actions were so erratic that my fear dissolved into confusion. He looked at me, or at least I'm pretty sure he looked at me, and repeated his hand signals. I had no idea how to respond, "I'm sorry I-I don't know what you're doing."

He sighed at me, a defeated and dejected look came across his face before he waved a dismissive hand at me. Just as he was about to get up, a woman's voice spoke from behind me, "Oh hey, Fox, glad you made it. Finally found a conversation partner?"

The scarred man, Fox seemed to be his name, and I turned to the voice. Behind us was a short-haired brunette girl that was a bit shorter than I was, but stood considerably taller in her heeled boots. Like a model straight from a magazine, she was covered from Beret-topped head to boot-covered toe in designer clothing, and was about as stylish as possible. In one hand, she held a pair of dark aviator sunglasses, and in the other she held a black briefcase with brass studs lining the corners and a brass buckle adorning the front. She looked right at us both, chin held high, but her body language showed a certain disinterest, with one hip off to the side and her arms crossed over her chest. She was the very definition of a huntress-in-training: proud, powerful and confident.

Fox looked up at her and smiled, making a few fast hand gestures, "Oh I see," the girl clicked her tongue, "So she can't sign and she can't dress well. Guess I really am the best you're gonna find, huh Fox?" She added with a playful slap across his shoulder.

It then dawned on me that she was insulting me, "Hey, w-what's that supposed to mean?" I tried to sound tough but completely failed. What I hoped would sting like daggers come out like a pair of wet napkins instead.

"Oh she's listening, good. What's your name, hun?" She sounded nice but I'd been around humans enough to recognize condescension when I heard it.

Her quick retort caught me off guard, "I-It's Velvet."

"Well Velvet, I'm Coco and this here is Fox. You seem a bit too nervous, considering you're at the best Huntsman Academy on the planet, so I recommend you just relax and go with it. I'm sure we'll see you around, but Fox and I have to go," She yanked on Fox's arm to punctuate that point, "Have a good night, kid!"

With that Coco left with Fox in tow. Fox turned back to me as he walked away, giving me a smile and a wave. He may look scary, but he seems friendly, even if I'm not sure what he's trying to say. Coco on the other hand… Well she seemed a bit stuck up, to put it nicely.

I continued to eat my wonderful fish when I heard another voice behind me, "Oh look, it's like she's never eaten fish before! How quaint," I turned and saw two young men, one wearing what appeared to be a leather jerkin with gold tassles coming off one arm, the other wearing a bright chrome chest plate over a skin-tight black shirt. Etched onto his chest plate was a spear with two concentric circle: the symbol of Atlas and its military.

Suddenly the Atlesian man spoke up, his words dripping with an angry venom, "Well you know, most of these Faunus aren't used to eating actual food. Honestly I'm not sure why they even bother letting these beasts in, better off training a sword to be a huntsman than these savages."

It was a combination of fear and anger that convinced me to speak up, "Hey you can't just-!"

The Atlesian cut me off, "Oh stop, I've heard it all before. I've heard all the 'we're people just like you' crap before and I'm not buying it. I know you're all murderers and crooks just like those White Fang bastards out there. Hell, there's a pretty good chance you're already in the White Fang, aren't you?"

"Ah-hem," A low, smooth voice cleared its throat behind them.

The jerkin-wearer turned around, "Yeah what do you wa- Oh hey Yatsuhashi, what's up b-buddy?"

The Atlesian turned around when her heard that name, then immediately started to back up when he saw who was in front of him, "Oh what brings you here, big fella?" His voice, in contrast to its previous vitriolic tone, was now not unlike a flute, with its weak, fluttering motions and sharp rise in tone.

"You were harassing that girl. Leave her alone and leave, now." His voice was assertive but calm, his words slow and each syllable perfectly enounced.

"Right, we can do that. Sorry!" The jerkin-wearer added before the two speeded away, mumbling and cursing under their breath.

The hulking giant who saved me sat down next to me, and turned to give me a smile, "You never let me apologize for this morning. Sorry for running into you," His words had lost their assertiveness, replaced by a calm and open kindness, but his words were still as methodically pronounced as before.

I recognized him in an instant, though I never expected this tan mountain of muscles to find me just to apologize, "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run off after running into you. That was dumb... I-I was being dumb."

He gave a deep laugh, "Don't beat yourself up too much, its fine. I'm Yatsuhashi Daichi, from Vacuo. And you are?"

"Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina," I gave him a flustered and somewhat scared looking smile, "I'm not from the kingdoms."

"Well I knew that from your accent, it's straight out of the southern wilds, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Pentalagus actually. You've heard of it?" I asked, getting a bit excited knowing someone actually knew about home.

"Only from what the huntsmen back in Vacuo have told me. That it's a lovely little mining town populated exclusively by Faunus and farm animals."

I was a bit let down that that's all he knew, "Yeah, my Dad is a jewel crafter there," I had more to say, but I didn't want to bore my new friend. Was it too early to call us friends? Maybe so, but I could hope all the same.

"So, Velvet, what kind of weapon do you use?" Yatsuhashi tried to open an innocuous conversation, a friendly smile beaming down on me.

"O-oh, I don't have a w-weapon," I couldn't stop my voice from shaking. I was embarrassed to admit it, on top of being a bit afraid of such a big human, even if he was nice.

"Ah, prefer your fists, do you? I can understand, I use a simple sword for the same reason. No need to add bells or whistles to what already works, right?" He nudged me with his elbow and gave a small laugh.

"No, I mean I don't know how to f-fight. I'm untrained."

Yatsuhashi gagged a bit on his food in surprise before turning back to me, "Really?" He voice had gone from calm to incredulous, "What are you doing here then? This is no regular academy, Velvet, this is a place for warriors!"

"I-I don't know. The Headmaster, Ozpin, invited me here himself so I came but now, I'm not sure why."

"Oh," His voiced returned to its prior calm.

"'Oh?'" I repeated, "That's all?"

"Well if Ozpin himself brought you here there must be a reason. I'm sure you'll be fine, maybe even better off than I am." He added with a shrug of the shoulders as he finished his food, "Well Velvet, I'm off. I want to get some sparring in and sharpen my blade before the day is over. I'll see you at the launch tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh, o-okay. Bye Yatsuhashi!" I waved at him as he walked away, until what he said sunk in, "Wait launch, what launch?" I yelled after him.

He turned back to me, "Oh you don't know? Its where…" he trailed off, "No, I think I'll let you see for yourself. More fun that way!" He then left with a wave.

I sighed. So far I've met a scarred mute, a stuck-up fashionista, two racists, and the world's most polite mass of muscles. Are all humans this crazy?


	5. Update

Sorry to everyone who follows this story, but I likely won't be updating it for a while. Back in late December I had my wisdom teeth removed, and had already planned to take a break while I recovered from that. Only a few days after that, my dorm room was broken into, and among the things stolen was my laptop, which had all my in progress CFVY chapters on it. Then, after that, I got a nasty sinus infection that I'm still feeling the effects of. Finally, to top it all off, RT revealed Velvet's weapon and possibly her semblance. I was well aware that something like this had happened and ensured that most of what I wrote could be changed to accommodate a retcon like this, but at the moment, I'm just not feeling it.

And that's not because I dislike Velvet's new weapon, or I suddenly dislike CFVY or something like that, because I do want to return to this idea at some point. The problem is that my other obligations are leaving me sapped. I'm taking 6 hours of writing classes this semester, 3 hours of game design courses, another 6 hours of project based courses, and a 3 hour math class. That's quite a large plate, and while I am handling it well enough, about half the time I just want to kick back and play Dota 2 instead of writing.

That said, the other half of the time, I do want to write, and I do want to write about RWBY. I'm currently working on two long term projects: A novel, and another RWBY fanfic: Neo, Neo. The first chapter is already up. The idea behind Neo, Neo was to have a shorter, more dense project that I can work on in shorter, faster spurts. As such, don't expect any chapters here to be longer than about 1000 words, but do expect them to come more frequently than never. I urge you all to check it out, I really like my writing style here and I think theres a lot of potential for the story.

That said, if you're just here for the antics and exploits of Team CFVY, Do not be alarmed! CFVY will get an update at some point, but I don't know when that is. Quite frankly I simply don't have any ideas for it at the moment and I'd rather not put out crappy writing. I promise, as soon as I have an idea, it'll get written.

Thanks,

Aaron Shurmon II


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